Maurice Jitty Villaester (he/him/his) is an instructor in the Communication program and brings a wealth of experience from his work in digital marketing. With a background as a content marketer, social media manager, and SEO specialist, he has successfully collaborated with various local and international clients.

He is involved in multiple organizations, such as LoveYourself—an organization that advocates for HIV/AIDS awareness among Filipinos, particularly in the most vulnerable communities—and Tsek.ph, a collaborative fact-checking project for the 2022 Philippine elections. Additionally, he participates in the ASEAN Digital Literacy Programme as one of its master trainers, helping to train underprivileged community members in the Philippines on how to protect themselves against misinformation and disinformation. Furthermore, he is an advocate for campus journalism in the Central Visayas region and serves as a speaker on various topics, including Radio News Scriptwriting and Broadcasting, as well as Editorial Writing.

He has also presented papers related to new media, gender studies, and health communication at various local and international research conferences across the country.  

As of now, he is completing his master’s degree in Development Communication at the University of the Philippines Open University, with research interests focused on new media and queer media studies. Concurrently, he serves as the Gender and Development focal person for the College of Communication, Art, and Design, and supervises DYUP Sugbo, the official radio station of the University of the Philippines Cebu.